Monthly Archives: March 2012

Scottish comics writer Sean Michael Wilson has started work on an exciting new project, but for it to become a reality he’s looking for Kickstarter funding.

PARECOMIC is a graphic novel about something that affects us all: the system we live in – what’s wrong with it, and how we might be able change it for the better!

Written by Sean Michael Wilson, and drawn by Carl Thompson, PARECOMIC is about Michael Albert and his life’s struggle as a US left wing activist, reaching right back to the heady days of 1960’s student demos and lifestyle rebellions. From the development of the anti war movement, civil rights, the woman’s movement, and the black panthers to the establishment of alternative media like South End Press and Znet. PARECOMIC shows us Michael’s story, and at the same time the ideas and issues that influence both our society and the better alternative that we can build via the anarchist influenced system of participatory economics. Or PARECON for short – hence the title for our book, which rather started out as a joke – but has stuck: PARECOMIC.

I can only apologise for blogging about a political matter, but this does concern everyone who enjoys the vibrant free arts scene in Edinburgh.

Edinburgh City Council are proposing a change to licencing laws that will force community events such as visual arts exhibitions, music, dance and theatre events to apply and pay for a licence, even if those events are put on for free. Such a change would severely damage what ELC does, and possibly even ruin chances of us putting on future events.

I urge everyone to raise a stink about this. Write to your councillor, tweet about it, and tell people you know that this is happening.

As such there is a public meeting at Out of the Blue in Dalmeny Street tonight, tonight (Thurs 1st March), to discuss and oppose this. I urge you to attend and sign the petition and/or contact your councillor to express your opposition. In Glasgow 14,000 signed the petition and the council scrapped its plans to impose these measures.